Herald of Death
by whatchamacallme
Summary: A girl named Chailyn has a gift to see the future. Not just any future, though. She sees Death.
1. Closing of the Heart

HERALD OF DEATH: THE CLOSING OF THE HEART

Whatchamacallme: Yup, I finally got around to redoing this and uploading it. Sorry it took so long '

Disclaimer: I don't own the series Heralds of Valdemar. For if I did own Valdemar, you wouldn't one book, for I don't write very fast and so you would not have known Valdemar exists.

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_The quiet bleating of sheep; the calm stars overhead; all was peaceful at the holding. Then a smell; I recognize it, it's a WOLF! Run! Must run away! Away from the wolf! I ran as fast as I can, but it overtakes me. I'm on my side, the wolf has pinned me down. His head comes down rips out my throat._

Chailyn woke up screaming, clutching my throat. There was nothing but pain in her head and in her throat.

"Chailyn! Chailyn, wake up! It's only a dream; you're going to wake the Head Wife! Chailyn!" Day said shaking her half-sister's shoulders.

Chailyn's eyes lost their unearthly gaze as she jerked awake.

"There's a good girl," Day soothed.

After Chailyn was fully awake, she gasped, "Day, it was horrible! I was the sheep as it died. A wolf tore out its throat!"

"It's okay, Chai, I'm here now." Day pulled the sobbing girl close. After a while, the sobs turned into hiccups as she calmed down.

"Wolf! Wolf! He killed one of the sheep! Wolf! Wolf!" cried a shepherd as he ran down the street.

One of our sisters, who had woken at the sound of screaming, heard the alarm, "Good going Disaster, you just made another catastrophe."

"Serah! You know very well that Chailyn doesn't—"

"No, Day, she's right."

"What?" Day exclaimed.

"I should just run away then I wouldn't cause anything else to happen." Chailyn said gloomily.

"Chailyn! You can't do that!" Day said, whipping around to face her.

"I can too! And you know what! No one would care."

"I would care, Chai!" Day exclaimed, "I would be worried half to death!"

"You wouldn't you'd say, 'Oh, isn't that a shame, Chailyn running off like that. Well, life must go on!'"

"What's gotten into you lately, Chai?" Day worried.

"How would you feel if for four years straight you dreamt of nothing but death? Every night I dread to close my eyes, because I know that I will have a nightmare that surpasses anyone's you have ever known," the dark-blonde all but screamed at her only friend. "I've heard rumors that all the propositions for me marrying their sons are pulled back once they hear of my dreams. I've also heard that if Father doesn't get any offers soon I'm 'suddenly' going to have a 'calling' to become a priestess. Believe me, Day; I am not going to step one foot in a temple."

"You've heard the rumors too, huh. Well, I should have expected it; you're not as foolish as you seem to be," Day smiled timidly.

_Day will never understand_, Chailyn thought as she sighed.

The Head Wife came up, and sent the girls to their chores after they got dressed.

Several hours later Chailyn was sitting on the crest of a hill that overlooked the town, and near enough to hear the Head Wife's call.

Chailyn didn't know exactly how she fell asleep, but she did.

_The village echoed with the sound of screaming and it reeked with the smell of fear and death. Finally the last scream faded and all was silent except the bleating of frightened sheep, and men running into the woods to cross the border._

_All was calm; there wasn't any moaning because the raiders made sure that there was not one left breathing._

_Then there was a sea of the bluest sapphire. It glittered with laughter, and it made me feel joyful, calm, safe. _

It ended then abruptly, and she woke up with a start, but no scream passed her lips as was her custom after a nightmare.

Chailyn got up and ran to the house, but all was well. The eldest sister was cooking, the littlest playing with the mouser cat and the Head Wife was watching over it all. That is, until she saw the frightened girl with empty hands.

"Child," she snapped, "where is your wool you were given to card?"

"It is on the hill where I left it," she stammered bracing herself for the blow that was to come. It landed heavily on her cheek, and she knew she would have a mark there for a good while.

The Head Wife, seeing she had not ran to get the wool, pushed her out the door, "Well, go get it, Child. I want to see how much you have gotten done in a candle mark."

Chailyn ran all the way up the hill where she had been sleeping. She searched but it was not there. Then she started to panic and continued to search for several moments before she noticed the branches of a tree moving against the wind and barely controlled laughter coming from it.

Chailyn approached the tree with care; brothers in trees can be dangerous to one's heath.

"Looking for this I suppose?" her brother asked innocently, showing her the wool.

"Give it back, Varden."

"Why should I?" he said, dropping easily out of the tree.

"I'll get in trouble if you don't," said she, pleading with her older and taller brother.

"You'll be in worse trouble when I tell the Head Wife you were sleeping." Varden smiled wickedly.

"You wouldn't dare!" Chailyn exclaimed as eyes widened in fear.

"Oh, I think I could dare, beautiful sister." He said, still smiling. "What were you dreaming about this time, my darling sister? A goat or maybe another sheep. Oh, I know, you dreamt your own death."

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you!" she shot back.

"I wouldn't? Is it that bad?" Varden said looking concerned.

"Yes, it is, but I'm not going to tell you! Now give me the wool," said an angry Chailyn.

"What do you have to give me in return?" he asked. "You tell me what you saw, and I'll give you your precious wool back."

"Will you tell the Head Wife that I was sleeping?"

"I might, and then I might not. I can assure you that I will tell her if you don't tell me what you saw."

"I saw our village's death, okay! Now, give me the wool!" she shouted.

"How?"

"Raiders."

"When?"

"I don't know! I never know when it's going to happen. Please, can I have my wool?" Chailyn pleaded, Head Wife would not be very happy with her taking so long.

Varden shrugged, turned to leave, and tossed the wool over his shoulder.

Chailyn caught the wool and ran as fast as she could to the kitchen.

Just as she had predicted, Head Wife wasn't very happy. So, the Head Wife punished her to Sheep Watch that night. Though, it wasn't quite punishment to Chailyn, for she actually cherished that time to herself.

The quiet bleating of sheep; the calm stars overhead; all was peaceful at the holding. But this time there was not interruption of the peace. Or at least, it didn't look like the peace was interrupted.

Raiders in the woods on the opposite side of the holding from the sheep pasture.

Then the woods exploded, as Chailyn looked on. The raiders fell on the holding with a passion.

Chailyn remembered her dream.

The village echoed with the sound of screaming and it reeked with the smell of fear and death. Finally the last scream faded and all was silent except the bleating of frightened sheep, and men running into the woods to cross the border.

With the last scream, it was done. Chailyn knew that there was none left alive, so she didn't even go to look. Chailyn was on Sheep Watch by herself tonight, because everyone else was too tired to do it.

Chailyn buried her head in her arms and cried herself to sleep, because there wasn't a reason to watch the sheep anymore.

Chailyn stayed there for two days, too grieved to move.

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Whatchamacallme: Thanks for reading; Review if you like. I accept all people's opinions unless it has nothing to do with the story. I also accept anonymous reviewers. 


	2. Opening of the Eyes

HERALD OF DEATH: THE OPENING OF THE EYES

Whatchamacallme: Sorry it took so long for the next chapter...

Disclaimer: Don't own Valdemar. Just the characters I make up; the others I get to borrow and play with .

:Colons for Thought Speech:

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A quiet figure moved towards the unmoving form in the middle of the field. Reaching the small child, he moved to look into the girl's face. The youngster awoke for the first time in four years without a nightmare.

:Are you awake Little One? If you are, open your eyes : the quiet figure asked.

"I don't want to open my eyes; I don't want to see what happened."

:Trust me, Little One; open your eyes. :

The brown eyes opened to find a pair of eyes gazing into her. They were blue beyond all reason, and they sparkled with an inner light.

:Little One, I Chose you. :

At those words, Chailyn lost herself in those beautiful sapphire eyes that surpassed the color in her dream easily. She felt joy so fulfilling that it ached in her heart. She felt sadness so deep that she could not cry. And she felt love so unlimited that it overflowed her heart and poured down her cheeks in tears.

Then slowly she was pulled out of it, and she regretted that she could not stay in it longer.

When she recovered from the immense joy, she whispered, "Who are you?"

:My name, Chailyn, is Zephyr. :

"Zephyr..." the brown-eyed, blonde-headed girl whispered. It was like as spell to her, a spell that when spoken, it would create instant peace inside her.

"Zephyr?"

:Yes, loved one:

"What do we do now?"

:We go to Haven. :

"Haven? Where is it? I mean I've heard of it, but I don't know where it is."

:North. A week or so of travel, I think. :

"What should I do for food? My family is dead, and I don't want to go down there to see if I can find food."

:I understand, Little One; there's road a little east of your holding that will take us straight to Haven. If we travel that, we won't have to use Waystations. :

Chailyn clambered onto Zephyr's saddle and clutched the reins.

:Chailyn, do you mind not grasping the reins so tight. If you need to, hold on to my mane, you can hang on tighter that way. :

She let go of the reins and held on to his mane as he instructed. She soon found out, however, that she didn't need to hang on to either rein or mane because Zephyr's gait was smooth and gentle, but it was faster than anything she had ever experienced. Though she would have to admit my experience is limited because as a woman, she was not allowed to try to ride a horse.

Whatchamacallme: Yes, peoples, this is a verrrrrrrrrrry short chapter. And I'm going to skip the traveling because nothing happened. Nothing. Squat. Zippo. So, the next chapter she should be in Haven.

Yes, I know they can use Thought Speech pretty easily, but that's only because she's newly Chosen and because she is in direct contact with Zephyr.

If you don't review, I don't blame you, there's not much to review on.

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Please let me know of any grammatical errors. Thanks for reading! 


	3. A New Begining

HERALD OF DEATH: A NEW BEGINNING

Disclaimer: I do not own Mercedes Lackey's stories, books, series, etc., etc., etc.

Colons for Thought Speech

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This, Little One, is Haven. 

Chailyn looked up from her nap and before her was the largest gathering of buildings she had ever seen.

"Zephyr?" she asked skeptically.

Oh, don't worry. You see that large area? That's the Companion's Field. See the buildings near it? They're the Palace and the Collegium; that's where we're headed.

Shocked, she replied, "But it's so….big."

You'll get used to it, don't worry, her Companion reassured. Chailyn looked hesitantly on the city; she couldn't see how anyone could get used to such a place. Zephyr did a little shrug and continued on his way.

As they passed through what looked like a market place, she saw a man give a boy a honey bun and whispered in his ear. The next time she saw the boy, who could have only been about 14 years, he was next to her left stirrup. He smiled up at Chailyn and handed her the pastry. Then he vanished into the crowd.

That was strange, Zephyr, that boy was wearing light green tunic and pants. The color was not too pleasant on him she sent looking between Zephyr's ears.

Not that odd really; I believe this is the day the students get a break. Light green you say? He must have been a Healer Trainee, unless he wanted to wear light green from head to foot. It really doesn't matter. Oh good, we're approaching the gate to the palace. Zephyr replied happily.

As they came to the gate, they were stopped by a soldier, which to Chailyn's surprise was a female.

"Zephyr? You came back quickly!" the woman exclaimed after checking something on my saddle. "So you're Zephyr's Chosen? What's your name?" she gently inquired of me.

"Yes, ma'am. It's Chailyn, ma'am." I replied docilely.

"Run along, I imagine someone is waiting for you." She said ushering them along.

Zephyr made his way to what looked like a stable without doors.

"Umm… Zephyr, why aren't there any doors?"

This is the Companion's stable; I think were smart enough not to have doors, don't you Zephyr answered humorously.

"Oh, there you are!" called a young lady with auburn hair. "I was waiting for you. My name's Triss, what's yours?

"My name's Chailyn," the younger said very softly.

"What was that?"

"My name's Chailyn," she said again, only a little louder but still as shy.

"Alright Chailyn, let's get your Companion untacked and give him some dinner, then I'll explain some things."

After Zephyr was settled in, Triss guided me along a path talking as we went.

"So, where are you from?"

"I'm from Rendholding."

"Holding? Oh, Holderkin! Wow, you and The Queen's Own should get together sometime; she's Holderkin, too ya' know," stated the grey-clad woman. "So, on a different subject, would you like me to explain what being Chosen means?"

"If you would, I pried Zephyr for information but he wouldn't say anything about it."

So as they walked along, the older in grey and the younger in brown, Triss told Chailyn what it meant to be Chosen.

While she was explaining, the pair had entered the Collegium itself, passed through several doors, and was, at the moment, in front of another set.

"So, any questions?"

Chailyn shook her head.

"Good, now let's get you some uniforms, a schedule, and a room. Oh, and also a map, they started giving those out since the Hide and Seek Incident."

"The Hide and Seek Incident?" Chailyn asked warily.

"I'll tell you about it later, but now let's get your stuff," replied Triss as she knocked and entered.

"Gaytha, I've brought you another Chosen!"

"No need to shout, girl, I can still hear you know," the Housekeeper retorted sharply. "Now, let's see. Bright Lady! You are very small! You're smaller than Rirn was at your age! You're about a six, we scarcely get Chosen this small. Don't tell me, you didn't bring anything with you did you dear? That's what I thought; newly Chosen never do." The Housekeeper shook her head as she disappeared behind a door, but she returned quickly with a bumpy bag and folded clothes.

"The Collegium rules are that you must have a hot bath every night and wash before every meal," she said handing half of the articles of clothes to Triss and half to Chailyn. "Your dirty clothing goes down the laundry chute in the bathroom. Your bed sheets are changed once a week; you'll get new sheets with the rest of the girls, and the old sheets must go in the laundry. If you're grungy from weapons practice or by being with your Companion, change your clothing before going to eat. Heralds must be—"

"--Clean so they can be trusted on sight. You know, you don't have to give that lecture to every Chosen who walks through your door! You know well enough it's told to us in a round about way in Orientation!" Triss interrupted.

The Housekeeper gave the young trainee a reproving look, "I give this lecture to newly Chosens because they will inevitably wonder why we must stay clean. Now, there are chores everyday; what household skills do you possess?"

"I can cook, clean, mend, card wool, if you name it I can do it," Chailyn admitted with a sigh.

"She's Holderkin," Triss whispered quietly to the elderly Housekeeper so that it was hard to make out what was said from where the new Chosen stood.

Gaytha nodded, "I'll have you be a Cookhelper and mender in the Sewing room." She wrote a few things down on a piece of paper and handed it to me. "This is your schedule; if anything's too much just say so and it'll get changed."

I looked at the writing with a sinking feeling in my gut, "Ma'am, I can't read or write."

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Whatchamacallme: So, please review if you'd like. I don't care. Again, I'll say that I take anonymous reviews. Thank you! 

I skipped what it means to be Chosen because anyone who is reading this probably already knows what it means. If I get some reviews asking me to put in the meaning of being Chosen I will.


	4. Elementary My Dear

Herald of Death: Elementary My Dear

Disclaimer: Don't own Lackey's Books .

:Colons for Thought Speech:

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"What!" Triss exclaimed. 

"I can't read or write." Chailyn said again simply.

"Now Triss, please don't be too terribly surprised at this, I have had many Chosen come who could not either," The Housekeeper chided. "Chailyn, it's quite alright, this has happened many times before. We'll just find you someone who will tutor you until you can read and write well enough before you enter your classes."

The worried girl breathed a silent sigh of relief; _They aren't going to reject me! _:Hear that Zephyr! They aren't going to turn me out:

:Of course not, why would they ever do that: Zephyr replied lightly.

Chailyn blushed and ducked her head so Triss and the Housekeeper wouldn't see:Because I can't read or write. And I--I thought it would be too troublesome to teach me.:

:Nonsense! If they didn't take Chosens that couldn't read or write there would be even less Heralds:

"Triss, would you like to teach her?"

"Me? Oh, no. No offense to you, Chailyn, but I'm a horrible teacher!" Triss said hurriedly, then added, "Megan is a great teacher though, and she even likes to teach!"

"Well, then Triss could you find Megan and ask her? We really need Chailyn in classes as soon as possible."

Triss took Chailyn to her room before supper, and before she looked for Megan.

"Here you are; your own room. Hope you like it." But Chailyn hadn't heard her; she was too caught up in the fact that she had her _own_ room.

"Come on, Chailyn, we need to find Megan before taking a bath and supper." Triss said, tugging on Chailyn's sleeve. Chailyn came out of her awe and followed Triss to a couple doors down. The older girl opened the door and strode in with Chailyn in her wake. The nameplate on the door had said, 'Meagan and Triss.'

_This must be Triss' room,_ Chailyn thought.

"Ah, good, I thought I might find you here. Megan this is the newly Chosen, Chailyn; Chailyn this is my roommate, Megan. Now, Megan, I have a teaching proposition for you. Can you teach Chailyn here how to read and write?"

Megan looked up from her book and replied, "OH YES! I'd love to! I've wanted to tutor someone ever since Nora let me teach our religions class about the Book of One." Chailyn smiled and whispered her thanks.

"Oh, we better get to the bathrooms so we can bathe before supper! There probably won't be any hot water left!" cried Megan as she hurriedly marked her spot in her book. Megan and Triss pulled Chailyn along so she wouldn't get lost.

That night Chailyn was scared to go to sleep; afraid she might dream the death of her new friends. When she was half way between consciousness and unconsciousness in sleep, a man visited her. He was dressed in all black and he was the most handsome man she had ever seen.

He walked over to her and sat down on her bed near the foot.

"Go to sleep Chailyn, you will not be bothered with dreams for a while. Sleep peacefully, my messenger."

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Whatchamacallme: Review if'n you want to; I'd appreciate it if'n you did. 


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